Dez' Tank Journal

[Dez]

Hi guys....it's been about 4 years since I've been active on the board. I guess I'm pretty old school by now and trying to learn all the latest stuff. I used to have about 600 gallons of salt water aquariums in my condo....but we moved March 1, 05 and before that I sold everything and all my tanks and livestock kept some equipment because I was going to set up a tank right away in my new house. I still have a whole box of new VHO bulbs (I hear those are super old school now) I've kept some live rock in the basement of my new house and the live rock is still in salt water running (and has been running for the last 4 years without a water change...ugh). Doubt that the rock is live any more.

During this time, we've developed the basement and had to move the stupid temporary rock tank a few times while developing the basement. We got our builders to beef up a wall and there was a custom opening in the wall to fit our 150 gallon 5 x 2 x 2 tank. I have a hole pre - drilled in the floor inside the wall to run my sump in the basement.

My wife has recently told me that I have to sell the tank (that has been sitting in my garage for the last 4 years) or to set it up. Or that if I sell the tank, I could buy another Mini (I drive an old school Mini now and want another for my summer car). I have chosen to set it up.

The main reason that I haven't set it up is that 2 months after we moved, we had a baby boy, and then 14 months after we had a baby girl. Life gets busy with kids and to me, my family is more important than a fish tank.

However, now I find myself taking the kids to the fish store all the time and they want to buy fish but we don't have a tank. They love the coral and all the livestock in aquariums. We take them to the Vancouver aquarium once or twice a year. So Now I figure it's a good time to set up the tank so that my kids can be involved with me and make it a hobby together.

Today I started drilling my tank. I will post pics in the next posting....

Cheers and I welcome suggestions as I am super old school now in the hobby.

Dez

PS - this might be a super slow tank build but hopefully I'll get it done before Delphinus

[Dez]

Here is the picture of the opening while the house is being built. One side is a den, and the other side is the living room. 2 side viewable tank.

Is there another way to have the picture directly in the post other than uploading it onto a website with a url? I don't have a website and I don't upload my pictures onto the web.

This would make my tank journal easier.

Thanks.

[saltynuts]

wow thats an old pic the house was not even done! lol
if you need a hand lifting that tank into place let me know.
and i am sure you will be done before tony!

[Dez]

Here are some pictures of the tank drilling. There is going to be an external overflow box at the end of the tank with a built in wavebox on the outside. I also started drilling the middle bracing of the tank (got 3 done until my drill battery died). I'm going to cut out a large hole (rectangular with rounded corners) so that more light can enter the tank.

I've thought about just ripping all that bracing out and eurobracing it but I hate ripping tanks apart and that way I don't have to buy extra glass to make the eurobracing.

I bought this tank used off of a canreef member (can't remember who) about 5 years ago. We bought it before we built our house and it had a corner overflow in it but I ripped it out. It was dirt cheap, I think I paid $200 or $300 for the tank.

I was going to use the corner overflow but decided against it after figuring out how to cut an oval shaped hole at the end of a tank for an external one.

Anyway here are the pics. Sorry, all pictures are taken with my cell phone camera because that's what I have handy. Later I'll start using a real camera when I'm getting close to having water or livestock in my tank.

That is my 3 year year old son helping spray with water while I drill . This was taken about an hour ago.

[Dez]

Originally Posted by saltynuts

wow thats an old pic the house was not even done! lol
if you need a hand lifting that tank into place let me know.
and i am sure you will be done before tony!

I know you right? You used to have a different name on Canreef.....hmmm are you Ed?

[saltynuts]

yes now lets get building!

[mr_alberta]

Holy cow Dez,

I didn't actually think you were serious this time around! We should call Rich, Russ and Ryan out and have the old gang get together again!

[mark]

nice to see you back,

Planning anything that I still figure is the greatest fuge


From a photobucket account then just copy the IMG Code link

[Dez]

Originally Posted by mark

nice to see you back,

Planning anything that I still figure is the greatest fuge


From a photobucket account then just copy the IMG Code link

Hey Mark!!! Why do you have a picture of one of my old tanks? For those who don't know, that was one of my many tanks in my old condo with a viewable refugium. I miss that tank. DIY stand, Canopy etc.....

What tanks are you running now?

Okay, I'm signing up for photobucket now....let's try this. This is a beckett skimmer I built back in the day....I hear those are pretty old school power hogs now too... In the background was a calcium reactor that I built.

[Dez]

Originally Posted by mr_alberta

Holy cow Dez,

I didn't actually think you were serious this time around! We should call Rich, Russ and Ryan out and have the old gang get together again!

I had those holes drilled 15 mins after I called you man! Now for the last hole. Any comments anyone on a closed loop with returns (say 3 of them) through the bottom of the tank. Anybody have closed loops through the bottom now and regret it? Anybody have leaks? What would you do different? etc...

I'm thinking about doing a closed loop through the bottom, but am unsure at this point. I'll have lots of room under the tank as the sump will be in the basement.

Comments will be appreciated.